Weekend getaways simply don’t come more spectacular than this. Situated 175 kilometres from Santiago City, Casa Rambla is home to not only spectacular coastal views but also to considered, and inspirational local architecture.
April 14th, 2014
Casa Rambla is a weekend house located along the central coast of Chile, at Zapallar City, 175 kilometres from Santiago City. The weekend house stands at the site next to the coastal pedestrian promenade sculpted out of the existing cliff linking the Zapallar aristocratic enclave from the last century to the tranquillity of the Zapallar Cemetery.
It is a project by young architectural firm, LAND Arquitectos, led by chief architects Cristobal Valenzuela and Angela Delorenzo, who had to overcome challenging topographical conditions – that of a steep site between the surrounding hills and the vast ocean.
With a built surface area of 123 square metres, the house is constructed on concrete beams by allowing them to get in touch with the ground to provide architectonical support and at the same time freeing the ground floor space for ventilation to prevent the high humidity from permeating into its interior spaces – a common problem in coastal areas all year round.
Over the beams, timber volumes are built using V-shaped pine columns for structuring, giving the exterior façade a highly unique appearance. All wooden construction materials for the exterior façade are treated with a white substance for protection against mildew in high humidity coastal areas, simultaneously giving the façade an increasing brightness and contrast with its surrounding landscape.
Casa Rambla’s interior spaces are designed to ensure the theme of continuity and connection between indoor spaces and outdoors spaces runs through its every design element. The panoramic sea-facing front is marked by an idyllic outdoor pool, laid with classic blue mosaics and connected to an outdoor terrace.
The extensive use of floor-to-ceiling glazing serves as an inconspicuous division between the interior and the exterior works to protect the interior from the harsh coastal climate, characterised by strong winds from the South and scorching sunrays from the West. The glazing opens up the interior dining hall to the exterior where its living inhabitants can walk along the rugged coastline, and get the breeze from the crashing waves.
The ceiling above the barbecue area opens up to a skylight – another visual connection to the great outdoors in this built environment, providing an exchange of fresh air and ventilation for passive cooling as well as capturing the northern light into the interior spaces.
Project Name: Casa Rambla
Architects: LAND arquitectos (Cristóbal Valenzuela H. + Ángela Delorenzo A.)
Location: Zapallar, Chile
Photos: Sergio Pirrone
LAND arquitectos
landarquitectos.com
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Entries for the Gaggenau Kitchen of the Year close on April 30!
Australia’s leading producer of solid-engineered oak flooring has recently launched a new suite of innovative resources to support creativity and ambition in the architecture and design community.
In the bid to balance the desire to live amongst nature with the modest footprint of today’s homes, designer Victoria Azadinho Bocconi looks for inspiration in the depths of the Amazon jungle.
The workplace has changed – and it will continue to evolve. With dynamism at the heart of clients’ requirements, architects and designers at leading practices such as Elenberg Fraser are using and recommending Herman Miller’s OE1 products for the future workplace.
Living Edge celebrated the launch of the Bassam Fellows range at their Sydney showroom on Wednesday 7 December, and their Melbourne showroom on Wednesday 14 December. Designer Craig Bassam and creative director Scott Fellows were special guests at both events, presenting their beautiful contemporary hand-crafted furniture to an eager crowd of design industry members and media.
Over 350 people turned out to show their support for authentic design at KE-ZU in Surry Hills on Thursday 17 June. Paul McGilllick introduced guest speakers Michael Young, Robert Backhouse and Q&A panelists Simone Oliver and Matthew Hall, who discussed the importance of respecting intellectual property in design.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Entries for the Gaggenau Kitchen of the Year close on April 30!
Once the byword for passé, the arch has returned to favour with force. The cheeky epitome of 70s chic is now championed on a grand scale with both renovations and new builds opting for the arch. Here are 6 outstanding examples.
We have all felt it and continue to experience the ramifications of change. It’s in the air and workplace design is at the vanguard of creating new approaches to working. Design leads the way at the 2023 INDE.Awards as the spotlight shines on The Work Space category and a partner who has recently made a historic change on a global scale.
That’s it. It’s a no-brainer. Move to central Melbourne and rent at LIV Munro where the apartments are beautifully conceived and the amenities are beyond outstanding. Build-to-rent is making waves and, through excellent design, the lifestyle of this new way of living is elevated to another dimension.